One phone call landlords hate to get is from the police department or a tenant telling them there has been a break-in at the rental property. Besides being concerned for their tenant’s safety, what are the landlord’s responsibilities in such an unfortunate situation?
First and foremost, the landlord is responsible for any repairs to fix damage to the property by those who entered the house unlawfully. This includes replacing broken windows, screens and doors that may have been broken during the crime. As the landlord, you are required to secure the property with proper locks on the windows and doors. You want your tenants to feel safe, but also you don’t want to be considered negligent in the case of a crime.
Even if the tenant left the door unlocked or a window open, it would be very difficult to establish gross negligence on the part of the tenant. However, you are not responsible for the tenant’s possessions, and anything they lose as a result of a break-in is not your responsibility. Urge your tenants to look into getting renters’ insurance, so that their belongings are covered in such an unfortunate event. It is a great investment to make.
Credit reports can tell a lot about a potential tenant, but they do not show whether someone has a previous eviction notice. Fill in the blanks on a prospective tenant’s background by using a tenant screening service to see important details about their rental history.
Tags: credit reports, landlords, previous eviction, renters’ insurance, tenant screening
